Bike Ride - Saturday - September 14, 2024

A view from our bike ride today along the New River Trail 

 

Today, Saturday, September 14, 2024

we rode our bikes along the New River Trail in Pulaski, Virginia.

Today's ride was from Dora Junction to the Draper Mercantile and back.

8.2 miles

We saw 2 deer along the trail, many birds and a monarch butterfly along with many other butterflies. 

A recap of our rides so far in September:

Tuesday September 3, 2024 - 8.2 miles - Dora to Draper and back

Saturday, September 7, 2024 - 16.5 miles - Hiwassee to Lone Ash and back

Monday, September 9, 2024 - 8.2 miles Dora to Draper and back

Wednesday, September 11, 2024 - 8.2 miles Draper to Hiwassee and back

Totals so far for September - 49.3 miles ridden.

Friday - September 13, 2024

 It was a cloudy day for our walk.

We saw a few snapping turtles again but only 1 duck and

no geese today.  Several squirrels and a chipmunk.

There was a lot of Blue Jay activity and we saw a Catbird and

another Hummingbird.  The Hummingbirds should be 

heading out soon.

The goldenrod is blooming so prettily.  When 

I got closer I saw this lovely patterned Locust Borer Beetle.

This Bald-faced Hornet was

another cool find on our walk.

The "Squiggly" drew me to this vine which I have identified as a Wild Grape Vine also known as riverbank grape or frost grape.

It was another great walk of 1.6 miles and a wonderful way to spend the morning.

Give Us Pleasure in the Flowers Today

 "Oh, give us pleasure in the flowers 

in the flowers today; 

And give us not to think so far away..." 

- Robert Frost

Common Buckeye Butterfly on Coneflower 

Thursday - September 12, 2024

A lovely sunrise to start the day 

 One of the 5 snapping turtles we saw on our walk around Hethwood Pond

Woolly Bear Caterpillar - First seen this year.

These little guys turn into Isabella Tiger Moths.

A view along Plantation Road.  You can see a bit of fall in the trees.  I'm afraid that due to our dry conditions this year our leaves may not be as pretty as most autumns here.

During our walk today we saw:

5 snapping turtles

3 or more painted turtles

Ducks on the pond and Geese flying over the pond

A hummingbird near the path where there is an abundance of jewelweed  

A Woolly Bear Caterpillar - aka Woolly Worm

Multiple Squirrels, Cardinals, and I heard several Blue Jays

We walked 1.6 miles

After our walk we had coffee at a spot where we see a bit of wildlife and saw a groundhog and a feral cat.  The groundhog and cat were very close to each other and didn't seem to be bothered by each other at all.

Great Advice from Mark Twain

 “Give every day the chance to become 

the most beautiful day of your life.” 

― Mark Twain

Everything You Look At Can Become A Fairy Tale

"Everything you look at can become a fairy tale and you can get a story from everything you touch."

 ~ Hans Christian Andersen

A Tree along the Huckleberry Trail during one of 

our walks.

Cape May Warbler

 "Wake up with a smile and go after life ....

Live it, enjoy it, taste it, smell it, feel it." 

~ Joe Knapp

Wild World of Webs

 "Joy in looking and comprehending 

is nature's most beautiful gift." 

~ Albert Einstein

Print Available - HERE 

Long-tailed Skipper - Another View

 "My wonder button is being pushed all the time." 

- Carl Sagan

From my first sighting of a long-tailed skipper on 08-22-24 

Print Available - HERE 

Always Take Time To Smell The Flowers

 "Always take time to smell the flowers, and let it fill you with beauty, and rediscover that sense of wonder." 

- Louis Schwartzberg

A Different Perspective - Female Cardinal

 “The best portion of a good man's life: 

his little, nameless unremembered acts 

of kindness and love.”

 ― William Wordsworth

Tiny Changes - Monarch Caterpillar

 “A tiny change today brings a 

dramatically different tomorrow.”

 - Richard Bach 

 This image captured on September 5, 2024 documents my first of year (2024) sighting of a Monarch Caterpillar - found along the Huckleberry Trail between Plantation Road and Hethwood. 

I was truly fortunate to have captured his shadow too!

The Voice of the Garden

 “The hum of bees is the voice of the garden.” 

– Elizabeth Lawrence

Bumblebee on Blue Cardinal Flower 

Scenes of September

 "It was September, 

and there was a crackly feeling to the air." 

— Carolyn Parkhurst

Print Available - HERE 

Red-banded Hairstreak Butterfly

 “If you smile when you see a butterfly, 

you have happiness in your soul.” 

— Diana Cooper

Print Available - HERE 

Crown of Thorns

Crown of Thorns is a deciduous, herbaceous, perennial shrub with bright green leaves and greenish flowers. The flowers are enclosed within long-lasting and bright bracts of red or yellow. The plant is loose in form, spiny and irregularly shaped, with thick, black spines and its historic presence in the Middle East led to the belief by some that the stems of this plant had been used in Christ's crown of thorns, hence the common name. In its country of origin (Madagascar) the plant will grow to 5 or 6 feet tall; however, in the United States, it typically grows to 3 feet, or 2 feet when grown as a houseplant. 

The above information is sourced from: 

https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/euphorbia-milii/ 

Print Available - HERE 

Wildflower and Quote

 

Monarch Butterfly Lays Eggs on Milkweed

 “When the spirit of nature touches us, 

our hearts turn into a butterfly!” 

— Mehmet Murat Ildan